Door-opener.



No. 767,555. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904. W. H. EDWARDS. DOOR OPENER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31, 1903.

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Inventor Wma/@JA Witnesses e I. BY

' Attorney PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904. l

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DOOR OPENER.

- APPLloA'rxoN Hmm AUG. a1, 190s.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. EDWARDS, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

Doon-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 767,555, dated August 16, 1904.

Application led August 31, 1903. Serial No. 171,435. (No model.) Y

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H.`EDwARDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Openers; and I do declare the following to be ya full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved door-opener adapted for use in opening and'closing screen and other doors of houses and also adapted for use for opening and closing furnace and other doors; and it consists in the construction and combination of devices hereinafter de-A scribed and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved apparatus for automatically opening and closing a door, 'so that a person wishing to pass through a door can open the same by stepping -upon an operating-button.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means for automatically closing a door and for maintaining the same in a In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a door-opener embodying my improvements, showing the same applied to a screen-door. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same and a horizontal section through the screen-door. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan View of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the plane indicated bythe line b Z) of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a door-piece 1, which is adapted to be attached to a door c, as here shown. The said door-piece has a plate horizontally disposed, having on one side a vertical flange 2, which bears against the outer side of the door at the bottom thereof and near its hinged side, and is secured thereto by screws 3 or other suitable devices. From the plate depend an outer iange 4 and an inner iiange 5, said iianges forming a raceway between them. rI`he inner end of the iiange 5 when the device is attached to a screen-door is here shown as cut away to form a clearance-space 6, as shown in Fig. 2, for the purpose hereinafter described. When the apparatus is used on a furnace or other similar door, the flanges 4 5 are coextensive in length.

A'plate 7 of suitable size and which is adapted to be fastened by screws or other suitable devices on a platform or floor immediately outside of the door-sill and at the hinged side of the door, as here shown, is provided with bearings 8 9 for a vertical shaft 10. The bearing 9 is here shown as an angularly-shaped hanger which depends from the plate 7. On the said shaft is a wheel 11. which may in practice be formed'integrally therewith, if preferred. At the upper end of the said shaft and above the plate 7 is an arm 12 of suitable shape. The said arm may be either angular in form, as here shown, or of any other suitable form. At its outer end and extending above it is a tappet device, which is here shown as an antifriction-roller 13, the same being adapted to travel in the race-way of the doorpiece 1. A strap 14, which in practice is preferably a metallic strap, passes around one side 'of the wheel 11 and is attached thereto, as

A link 16 has one end pivotally mounted in a bearing 17, which is here shown as secured to the under side of the floor or-platform c. The said link travels in a supporting-guide 18, which is also secured to the under side of the floor c, and on the link bears a brake device 19, which is here shown as a plate 20,

`which lies on the floor or platform c and has which is engaged by a hook 26 at one end ofl a coil-spring 27. The opposite end of the said spring is secured, asat 28, and the. function of the said spring is to keep the strap 14 at the desired tension. The screw 23, which forms one element of the connection between the other end of the strap and operating-link IOO 16, is for purposes of adjustment and also coacts with the spring 27 to vary the tension of the said strap.

An operating device 29 is here shown hava substantially vertical arm 30 and asubstan tially horizontal arm 31 at the upper end thereof, having an upturned outer end 32, provided with a button 33, the said button forming a head and adapted to be depressed by the foot of the operator. The lower end of the arm 30 of this operating device is here shown as pivotally mounted in a bearing 34 on a bracket 35. The said bracket is here shown as adapted to be secured at one end to the under side of the floor or platform c and at the other end to a joist or sleeper d. This bracket may be of any suitable construction, and I do not desire to limit myself .in this particular. The upturned portion 32 at the outer end of the arm 3l of the operating device operates in the slot e in the iioor or platform. A keeper 86 is pivotally connected to the operating' device, as at 37, and has a threaded opening', which is eng'ag'ed by the screw-threaded end of the rod 38. The opposite end of the said rod is swiveled to a keeper 39, which is pivotally connected, as at 40, to the link 16. The said screw-rod 38 has a suitable opening' 41 for the insertion of a key, whereby it may be turned to adjust it. The screw 23 may be provided with a similar opening'.

A spring 42 is here shown connected to the door a, the function of the said spring being to normally close said door. It will be understood that when the button 33 is depressed by Stepping' on the same pivotal movement is imparted to the operating device 29. T he link 16 connected to thc operating' device is thus caused to move pivotally inone direction, and the same being' connected to one end of the strap 14 draws the said strap in one direction against the tension of the spring 27, thereby imparting partial rotation to the shaft 7 and causing' the arm 12 of said shaft to swing outwardly, whereby its tappet element, which travels in the raceway of the device l, causes the door to open. Vhe-n the pressure of the foot is relieved from the operating-button, the spring 27 acts on the strap 14 to return the operating' device 28 and link 16 to their initial positions and to reversely turn the shaft 7 and permit the door to be closed by its spring. It will be understood that the spring which operates on the door to close it may be entirely dispensed with if the spring 27 is of suitable strength to close it, and that spring 27 will be effective, in connection with other elements of my improved door-operating apparatus, to maintain the door in a closed position. The clearance at the inner end of the flange 5 enables the door to be opened independently of the operating apparatus. When it is not desired that the door be adapted to be opened independently of the operatingapparatus, as when the latter is used on a furnace-door, the iange 5 will be coextensive in length with the ange 4, so that the tappet device will be under all conditions in engagement with the raceway of the device 1.

The function of the brake device is to hold the .door open while a person is passing through the doorway. It will be understood that having opened the door by stepping upon the button 33 the person will then step with the other foot upon the plate 20, thereby holding the door open, and that upon raising his foot 'from the plate 20 the spring will immediately thereafter close the door behind him.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring' a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacricing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination with door-operating means, including a lever and movable connections actuated thereby to open the door, and a spring to close the door, a brake device effective when pressure is applied thereto to frictionally engage a movable member of the door-operating connections and hold the door in open position against the tension of the spring'.

2. In combination with a door, having a device provided with a runway, a revoluble element having a tappet device slidable in the runway to operate the door, a strap to turn said revoluble element, a pivoted link connected to one end of the strap, a tensionspring connectedto the opposite end of the strap, an operating element connected to the link to move the strap against the tension of the spring, and a brake device coacting with the link to lock the latter and thereby its coacting elements in position to hold the door open, substantially as described.

3. In combination with dooroperating means, including a revoluble element having a detent, a device for attachment to a door, having a runway to extend below the door and for slidable engagement-by the detent, said runway having a clearance-opening to clear the detent and permit the door to be moved independently of the operating device, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. EDWARDS. Witnesses:

DENNIS A. HEARN, AUGUST STUKENBERG.

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